Kicking in Virtual Reality: The Influence of Foot Visibility on the Shooting Experience and Accuracy

When playing sports in virtual reality foot interaction is crucial for many disciplines. We investigated how the visibility of the foot influences penalty shooting in soccer. In a between-group experiment, we asked 28 players to hit eight targets with a virtual ball. We measured the performance, task load, presence, ball control, and body ownership of inexperienced to advanced soccer players. In one condition, the players saw a visual representation of their tracked foot which improved the accuracy of the shots significantly. Players with invisible foot needed 58% more attempts. Further, with foot visibility the self-reported body ownership was higher.